tomweis

<p>Thanks, Sandy. McMaster Carr has various loose ball bearings. I can get 100 for about $8.00... and then I can open my own lens repair shop. Ha ha ha...</p>

<p>The aperture blades are clean. These lines are uniform around the whole perimeter which is why bad lens cement was my first guess.<br> Thanks for your replies, guys.<br> T</p>

<p>Thanks for your reply, John. This photo is looking into the front of the lens, but the lines are visible from either direction. It's a Pentax-A 50mm f1.4. The lines seem to reside on an element towards the rear.<br> I doesn't look fungal or organic in nature to me, but what do I know.<br> T</p>

<p>I took apart a Pentax-A 50mm f2 manual focus lens to repair the focus ring helicoid. Students drop these lenses with some regularity - I have a box full of them and figured I'd give the repair a try myself. Anyway, I lost the little bearing that allows the aperture ring to click. Yes I knew it was there. Yes I knew it would jump out at me. I lost it anyway.<br> Questions:<br> 1. Is this bearing a 1.2mm size or something else?<br> 2. I live in NYC - is there somewhere local I can get some extra bearings? I'd rather not have to order them from California and pay $10 to ship something that weighs less than a gram. So far local repair shops refuse to sell me parts. Frustrating.</p> <p>Incidentally, the trickiest part of doing this repair is getting the lens to focus to infinity again!<br> Thanks for your advice!<br> Tom</p>

<p>I've got a Pentax-A 50mm with the Squiggly lines inside perimeter of lens. I'm thinking it's either lens cement that's going bad, or the lens coating is crazing. Does anyone have a definitive answer?<br> Thanks<br> Tom<img src="http://tomweisphoto.com/Z/strange_lens_lines.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>I can't say for sure what might be wrong with your Nikon 80-200mm f2.8 AF-S, but Nikon stopped servicing that lens back in April 2012. Parts are no longer available.</p>

<p>Bob, I'm sorry you're having problems with wedding dress exposures. However, I don't think digital cameras are the problem, at least not any sort of pro DSLR made after 2009. I use the Nikon D700 and am constantly surprised at its dynamic range. I presume newer cameras are better. I shoot with flash in both manual and TTL modes and rarely have a problem with exposure. What camera are you using? What flash system? RAW or JPEG?<br> The wedding photo here was shot with manual flash off camera with an umbrella, and there's plenty of detail in the dress.<img src="http://www.tomweisweddings.com/Z/Stephanie_George_1054_700.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p><img src="http://tomweisphoto.com/Z/Juniors_CHZCAKE_car_600.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="450" /><br> Shot with a Nikon Coolpix P7800 and Hoya polarizer.<br> Junior's is a restaurant in Brooklyn known for cheesecake. The car in the foreground presumably belongs to the owner of the restaurant.<br> T</p>

<p>I recently lost an elastic sock type diffuser I was using on my speedlights. I believe it was this product from Adorama: Adorama Strobo-Socks, Nylon Fabric Diffuser for Portable Strobes (product code FASS). Unfortunately they have been discontinued.<br> I'm considering the Novatron Diffuse-It Strobe Caps from B&H (product codes B&H # NOSCDI35 Mfr # NDIFFUSEIT5) as a replacement and wondering if anyone has used this item on their speedlights, specifically a Nikon SB-900. Do they fit snugly? Any other comments?<br> Thanks<br> Tom</p>

<p>@ Dan South<br> Some Profoto packs to indeed have PocketWizard technology.<br> From the Profoto website:<br />Acute 2R 1200WS pack<br />Product Number<br />900775 Compatible with 344 MHz Pocket Wizard transmitters.<br />900811 Compatible with 433 MHz Pocket Wizard transmitters.</p>

<p>Thanks for all your responses, guys. I'm glad you've kept the conversation light (pun intended), and not devolved it into a brand war which was certainly not my intention.<br> With regards to radio frequency laws, how does Canon deal that issue? Is there a special 600EX-RT version for each region?<br> I'm familiar with PocketWizard's FlexTT5 system, but it just seems to me to be too much extra stuff on top of a camera along with the flash to be safe. Sometimes I put up room lights for a wedding reception and need to fire the remotes along with the SB-900 on the camera. I carry two cameras when shooting events so one is sideways off my shoulder in front of me. The cantilevered load of a sideways SB-900 + FlexTT5 combo stressing the hotshoe worries me.</p>

<p>Consider:</p> <p>1. PocketWizard sales are so low they have laid off staff:<br> http://petapixel.com/2014/02/21/pocketwizard-plagued-poor-sales-lays-almost-half-staff/<br> 2. PocketWizard technology is already integrated in products from Sekonic, Profoto, Dynalite and Bowens.<br> 3. Canon has recently put radio triggering technology into the 600EX-RT Speedlite.<br> 4. Nikon has yet to release a speedlight with built-in radio triggering, and the existing Adavanced Wireless Lighting system is based on optical flash pulses which just doesn't cut it outside on sunny days, around corners, or at great distances.</p> <p>How awesome would it be if Nikon and PocketWizard teamed up? This would strengthen both brands, I think.</p> <p>Imagine the next generation of Nikon speedlights and camera bodies with PocketWizard technology:<br> 1. Trigger remote Nikon speedlights from a Nikon camera body (D5?) with a built-in PocketWizard transceiver.<br> 2. Trigger remote Nikon cameras with the same in-camera transceiver.<br> 3. Trigger remote Nikon speedlights from a camera-mounted Nikon speedlight with PocketWizard transceiver built-in. The camera-mounted flash could be set to fire or not (transmit only). This is one option for older cameras without an integrated transceiver.<br> 4. Trigger remote Nikon speedlights from a Nikon / PocketWizard branded transmitter unit (like the Canon ST-E3-RT Speedlite Transmitter) mounted onto the hotshoe. This is the second option for older cameras without an integrated transceiver.<br> 5. Trigger remote Nikon speedlights with the PocketWizard transceiver / transmitter you already own without the need to dangle a receiver from the lightstand.</p> <p>Proposed remote flash controls capable from camera position:<br> 1. Selection of four groups (A, B, C, D), 32 channels<br> 2. Set lighting ratios and TTL exposure compensation<br> 3. TTL/Manual/Auto/Repeating Flash mode selection<br> 4. Manual power settings in 10ths of a stop for both flash and constant source lights (the new flash would have an LED for video work built into the zoom reflector so it can be focused just like the flash tube).<br> 5. Zoom reflector position<br> 6. Modeling light activation<br> 7. AF assist light activation<br> 8. FP high speed sync<br> 9. Color temperature adjustments made at each head (similar to Broncolor Enhanced Color Temperature Control)<br> 10. Individually programmable front/rear curtain sync for each remote speedlight, and trigger delay adjustments<br> 11. Radio "sniffer" to determine which of the 32 channels is most robust in a given environment.</p> <p>Remember, it's a fantasy...</p>

<p>I posted the same question on another forum and received an explanation for the 1080*("star") setting over the regular 1080 setting; movie bitrate. The movie bitrate is likely higher for the 1080*("star") or "High" setting. Apparently manuals for other Nikon compact cameras spell this out, unlike the P7800 manual. Why Nikon would choose to omit this information from the P7800 manual is a mystery to me.</p>

<p>Page 30 of the Nikon P7800 Reference Section of the manual titled, "Qual Movie Options" gives this information:</p> <p>Option (Image size/ Frame rate, File format)<br> 1080*/30p 1080*/25p (default setting)<br> 1920 × 1080 (High)</p> <p>1080/30p 1080/25p<br> 1920 × 1080</p> <p>So the difference between 1080*("star")/30p and 1080/30p settings is that the 1080*("star")/30p setting says "High". High what? High quality? Does that mean less compression? The manual does not elaborate. Files shot in each of the two settings seem to be the same size for the same length of take. Anybody got an answer?</p>

<p>Hi - anyone know what the minimum aperture value is for the Sony RX10? Also, since it's a constant aperture lens, I'm assuming the effective aperture doesn't drop when zooming to 200mm.</p>

<p>Lori,<br> The problem is very likely your D700 and NOT the flash! I have two D700 bodies and have had what I call the Hot Shoe Goes Haywire (HSGH) issue twice. Only Nikon can repair the problem by replacing the electronics under the hot shoe and the shoe itself. This is a known issue, although Nikon won't admit it.</p> <p>If you are not familiar with HSGH, here are the symptoms:<br> 1. Random crazy uncontrollable flickering or strobing. It might look like the DOF preview button was pressed causing the modeling light to fire.<br> 2. The flash spontaneously changes exposure modes from TTL to A. The back display will flicker on and off.<br> 3. All three red focus assist lamps illuminate even if you are not actively trying to use the camera's AF.<br> 4. The D700 may or may not be capable of firing. If the shutter can fire, the flash either does not fire (under exposure) or it fires full blast (over exposure).<br> The bottom line is that the D700 and Nikon flash are suddenly rendered useless by what resembles an epileptic seizure.</p> <p>Theory #1<br> Stress on the D700 hot shoe due to the weight of the flash, especially A) when holding the camera vertically and B) when walking around all day with the flash on the hot shoe, such as at a wedding or similar event.</p> <p>Allegedly this stress causes A) the hot shoe to come loose from whatever internal screws are holding it in place, or B) the hot shoe itself to deform, or some combination of both.</p> <p>Popular homebrew fixes include:<br> a. Crimping the flanges of the hot shoe with large pliers to seat the flash tighter.<br> b. Using a hammer to do the same thing as the pliers.<br> c. Use of the Nikon WG-AS3 Water Guard to tighten the fit between SB-900 and the D700 hot shoe.</p> <p>Some photographers report at least initial success with these methods.<br> However, there are many reports of HSGH with lighter flash units such as the SB-600 or SB-700. One photographer reported this problem while using an SC-29 and a flash bracket, which of course places almost no stress at all on the hot shoe.</p> <p>Otherwise, photographers send their D700s to Nikon for replacement hot shoe. Some photographers report that the new hot shoe has a different part number than the original, although I don't know how they arrived at that conclusion.<br> <br> Theory #2<br> According to Southern Photo Repair, an authorized Nikon repair center, "We have seen many cases of Nikon SB 900 flash firing on its own or misfiring when used on the Nikon D700 camera. This is due to several possible causes that are related to the metal flash foot on the Nikon SB 900 not making proper ground when used on the Nikon D700." [ http://blog.sp-ts.com/public/blog/246489 ]<br> The logical next question is, why is the hot shoe not making proper ground? I called them and asked. They say that the supplier who makes (made?) the D700 hot shoe made an error in the metal. The metal (I presume it's stainless steel) has too much oil in it. Repeated firing of the flash - as at a wedding or similar event - causes a little bit of this oil to leach from the metal causing a short. The trigger voltage causes this phenomenon. That explains why the flash goes haywire. Then they told me they do not replace the D700 hot shoe with another D700 hot shoe. Rather, they use a D2x hot shoe.</p> <p>I have had both of my D700s serviced twice for HSGH, the last time in 2012 as I recall. I have been HSGH free since then, and I shoot a wedding or mitzvah with lots of flash 20-30 times a year. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the HSGH doesn't come back.</p> <p>Further reading:<br> http://blog.sp-ts.com/public/blog/246489 <br> http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00Tqe0 <br> http://www.flickr.com/groups/nikond700/discuss/72157626864603856/<br> http://www.flickr.com/groups/nikond700/discuss/72157623195283704/<br> http://www.flickr.com/groups/nikond700/discuss/72157623669323803/<br> http://www.nikonians.org/forums/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=226&topic_id=33366&mesg_id=33366&page=#34286<br> http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/816093<br> http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/833496<br> http://www.ephotozine.com/forums/topic/nikon-read-this---d700-flash-hotshoe-misfires-93185<br> http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/2010/01/nikon-d700-hot-shoe-problems.html<br> http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1021&message=37365952<br> http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1021&message=36473087<br> http://www.modelmayhem.com/po.php?thread_id=808418<br> http://www.theprofessionalphotographyforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=177<br> http://neilvn.com/forum/discussion/429/nikon-d700-hot-shoe-problems-with-sb-900-/p1</p>

<p>I fried my Sunpak 383 Super at a fashion show - hammered it too hard I guess. The flash will still power up and fire, but it always fires full blast now; no manual control and no auto thyristor function. <br> I know it's probably not worth it, but anybody know of a repair shop for these old Sunpaks?<br /><br /> Cheers. Tom</p>